This article originally appeared on CNN.
Three months since the devastating Peshawar school attack, in which over 130 students lost their lives, singer-actor Ali Zafar has urged the world to help Pakistan out of extremist darkness.
“Pakistan needs your help. It has been fighting this battle for years and has lost countless lives in the process,” the actor urged in his blog.
On December 16, 2014, Taliban gunmen stormed into an army school in Peshawar, killing more than 150 people, including 132 children.
The actor wrote: “The world needs to see Pakistan in a whole different light to help us out of this darkness. They need to partner with us towards progress.”
“This is something that we all need to work towards — the international community and us,” he added.
Ali stressed the need for the world to understand the complexities of Pakistani society and the “fact that it’s not easy to survive through all that this country has been through.”
“Unfortunately because of an extremist minority, it is sometimes seen as an extremist country. But no society is void of extremism in one way or the other.”
Shocked and disturbed, Ali had cancelled his tours and concerts scheduled in the weeks following the attack.
He even united actors, cricketers and musicians for his song Urein Ge, honouring the Peshawar school victims.
“Today, the entire nation stands as one for this cause. And that is what I have tried to show the world in this video. A Pakistan that stands united to make sure that the lives of those innocent children did not go to waste,” he said regarding the song.
The actor further stressed he wanted Urein Ge to be more than just a song.
“I wanted to practically help towards a cause dear to me — education.”
Speaking of the astounding response to his song, Ali wrote, “And the response to the song and video further solidified my belief that every Pakistani wants the same. They just need someone to show them the way. And to me, education is the way forward. It’s the key to progress and peace.”
With both his parents having served in the field of education their entire lives, Ali said that was one of the reasons the tragedy affected him so deeply.
Furthering his mission to help out and spread education, Ali has collaborated with The Citizens Foundation (TCF) movement of 141 schools across Pakistan in the names of the victims of the attack.
The actor aspires to build at least one school which would cost around Rs20.7 million.
